1997 Trapiche, Oak Cask, Malbec, Medodoza. This baby has had eight positive postings over the past year or so including on Drew's thread on Banrock Station Shiraz just last month; but thought it was time to give it a thread of it's own. You wonder whether or not to let this kind of info out the bag in fear that WS or Parker or someone will get on the bang wagon, and zoom, there goes the price.

Perhaps it is inevitable that in the future the price will rise, but for now it has to be just about the drop dead best value one can find. Jerry Mead opined back in '99 that the malbec grape grown in Argentina is not the same as the one grown in Bordeaux and California. He likened it to the Syrah/Petite Sirah paradigm. At any rate what they grow there makes wonderful wine.

This wine has come to be our favorite day in day out red. It is very verstitle like Dutton's fav, the Cline Cote de Oakley. Last night we had it with leftover Sicilian beefsteak in tomato sauce. It went fine. Have never seen data on the acidity of malbec, but it seems to be more like cabernet franc than other Bordeaux breathern in that regard. It had no problems with the tomatoes. The Trapiche also goes with other stews, red meats, strong oily fish, barbeque, Mexican food, and on and on. All this for $90.00 a case. What more could you want?

Welcome back Drew. Lots of swelt postings tonight. Had another of subject wines with a wonderful Canadian cheddar and Italian salami tonight, after a large lunch this afternoon. This is one baby I love oak with. At times like this, can't get enough of it!

Buck-mon, when you are a regular at the withstand trough you have to file your tastebuds down regularly wif' clorox so you can taste some of them suckers. Thusly whence you hit a bottle wif' jes' a kiss of timber you think you're in the Redwoods Nat'nl forest. WW